Andromeda
by CookieEmpire
Summary: A powerful vampyre huntress must fight to protect the people she loves and the world in which she lives. RLxOFCxSB
1. Prologue The Accident

Prologue- The Accident  
  
She was running. She didn't know where, but that didn't really matter. Not anymore. She had seen what they were doing to those children, what they had already done, and she wasn't going back there to subject her own child to it, war be damned.  
  
She had never been this cold in her entire life. The falling rain was already half-frozen when it hit the ground, turning the forest floor into a muddy slush that was sucking at her bare feet. Not that it mattered much; the feeling in her extremities had gone an hour ago. Had it only been an hour? It seemed like she had been running for days. She could not detect any of the sound of pursuit in a forest, the cracking of twigs, the crushing of leaves, but she still knew she was being following. For all she knew there could be a group of captors just over the next rise. But as she scrambled down the mushy slope, grabbing at an enormous tree root to slow her descent, the way was blessedly clear. She began to think that she might just make it after all, that she and her unborn child could actually have a chance at a normal life. She was aware, of course, that her baby would never be a "normal" child, but she could at least try and raise her that way. Her right foot hooked a tree root protruding from the soggy soil and she went down heavily on her knees, violently jolting herself from her reverie, and berating herself silently for allowing her mind to wander into a future that might not even come true. What mattered was here and now and getting out of this god-forsaken stand of trees that seemed to have no end. She would have to try and find a large city. Yes, she thought, big cities were the best to disappear in. Everyone had their own problems to worry about these days, what did they care of a runaway pregnancy. For that was all she would ever tell anyone about herself. And it wouldn't be that much of a lie would it? She was in all actuality running away, just not from home.  
  
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the shadow slipping silently from tree to tree, following her easily.  
  
Caesile had picked up on her mental call the moment he had set foot in the woods. It's not like he could have missed it. Even an inexperienced fosterling vampyre could have read her clearly. It almost unnerved him how strongly he was being drawn to her. He had not been fascinated this strongly by another person, mortal or otherwise since.well, it had been a long time. He shook that train of thought off distractedly. He couldn't afford to lose his wits thinking of days long past, days that couldn't be changed now. Looking around he realized that while he had been caught up in his memories he had inadvertently been following the young mortal woman that had so captivated his thoughts. He got his first physical glance at her as she scrambled down a muddy embankment and past the tree that he was currently standing behind. While he had sensed the second life in her aura he could now see that she was greatly with child. It only just seemed to occur to him that a very pregnant woman was struggling through a frozen forest in the dark of night with only the light of the moon to guide her. He could tell by reading her emotions and the strongest of her thoughts that she was running from someone, or something. No, he thought, it was a place. She was running away from somewhere. And she was desperate to get away; so desperate in fact that she would rather kill herself, and her baby too before she would go back to "that place", wherever "that place" was. He noticed that not once while she was running from.whoever it was that was trying to take her back she never once looked over her shoulder. It was as though she knew there was no use; she wouldn't be able to see her pursuers anyway. He sensed other presences in the woods, but they were not yet close enough to cause him any worry. He effortlessly threw a minor mind bock up in front of their minds. At least, almost effortlessly. The minds of those that followed her were unlike any mortal minds that he had ever encountered in his existence, which was considerable even for a vampyre. They were young minds, which was a bit confusing, as they were also the minds he would expect to find in grown men, warriors, men who had killed.and had loved it. Whoever, whatever these things were that were chasing her, they lived for the hunt, and more importantly, the kill, and from what he could tell, they were just children. But he didn't dwell on it beyond throwing simple mind blocks up to delay their arrival and throw them off her trail a bit. He was following her again he realized, but this time he didn't really care. He had never encountered a mortal with the kind of as-yet-undiscovered telepathic ability that this woman carried. He felt himself being drawn to her. He wanted nothing more in the world right now than to taste her blood, though he knew it was strictly forbidden to feed on a mortal woman carrying an innocent within her. But suddenly none of this seemed to matter. The urge was too strong to simply ignore. He could feel her hear, even through the freezing rain and wind. He could sense her heartbeat, once strong but growing weaker. Eventually, he knew, only her determination to save her child would keep her going.  
  
He was quickly moving closer to her against his own will. Half-crazed to taste her blood now, he thought that if he did not drink from her soon he might actually burn up from the inside out, as though he had been left in the sun to die. Impossible though he knew it was, he felt it nonetheless. She could feel his presence now and this time she did look back, and undoubtedly saw nothing as her panic seemed to double. Gasping and casting her eyes around wildly she seemed to falter for a moment, and it was what decided him. At the last moment, just before he reached her side, she caught him in her gaze and he saw himself reflected in her eyes, seemingly gliding without even touching the forest floor. And then she was in his arms and his mental aura was soothing her, telling her that everything was okay, that this was what she wanted, this was her escape. And willingly she complied; her body went limp and leant towards him. Closing the last few inches between them, Caesile the vampyre sunk his teeth into they delicate white flesh of the neck of a pregnant mortal, and suddenly he understood why his kind forbade it.  
  
He felt as though every vessel in his body was flowing with molten lava. He was on fire and he loved it. He had never known anything but the cold of death pervading his body, and only when he fed did he feel anything remotely like the warmth of life filling him, and even that was a sheer suggestion of this. Feeding on the blood of a supple youth, as the mortal was probably not yet 23, and at the same time feeding on the very life force of an innocent soul yet to enter the world was more intoxicating than anything he had ever known in his extensive existence. This completely overshadowed all of the cold in his lifeless body that had ever been there. He didn't think he ever wanted to stop drinking from this spring of heat, of fore, of life. But then those minds, those abominations, they were there. They had shaken off the mind blocks. "Clever little buggers." He hissed, baring his fangs and, as the magnitude of what he'd done hit him, he fled. Or tried to. In his uncharacteristic panic he had gotten careless, and the woman, in pure shock and desperation at this one last chance of salvation threw her arm out and groped blindly for him. She grasped his arm and her fingernails ripped through his sleeve to his newly heated flesh and ripped through that as well. He shook it off, he would heal quickly, especially since he had just fed, and such rich blood at that. Turning his head for one last look at this intriguing mortal he watched in horror as three small drops of blood seemingly dripped in slow motion from his torn sleeve into the dying woman's mouth. He ripped himself away from her and reeled backwards on his heels gaping in horror at the mortal in front of him who would no longer be a mortal in a short time. Sensing that the child-hunters were close he leaped to his feet and ran. His mind would not clear enough for him to think. He had never known panic like this before and it clouded his mind over even more than the strongest thirst for blood that he had ever known. It scared him and he kept running as though he would never stop. He only hoped that without a master to guide her, the woman he had left back in the woods would not feed and that she and her baby would die. Though it sounded cruel, it was the only way. He had connected to the child while he fed and he knew that it was one of the hunters, and he did not even want to consider what the babe might become if it were allowed to live.  
  
A/N: So? Good? Bad? Neither? If you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to review or email me. (starvingpoet452@hotmail.com) I should have the first chapter up within a week. The HP gang won't show up until chapter two or three, but they ARE some of the main characters, so don't worry, yes they are in this story and they do play very important and crucial roles. And just as a reminder. (Book 5 spoiler coming up within the next 2 sentences, be warned.) This is a Remus romance. And in my AU Padfoot lives. (In fact that situation might even be included in my story, I haven't decided yet.) 


	2. Chapter One Hostile Ground

Chapter One- Hostile Ground

(A/N: Andi and Tal share a mind link, and to show that, I'm notating it like this. **Tal is mind speaking** _Andi is mind speaking_

Andi leaned down to watch the street from her perch high above the city. A playful breeze tugged at her hair, pulling a few auburn strands out of the loose bun it was piled in, whipping it across her high cheekbones and pixie nose. Crouched atop the roof of the forty-story building, clad in leather, black glasses and even darker expressions, she and her hunting partner made a formidable pair. It was just after 5:00 PM and she and Tal were getting re-con on the building across the street. In this battle against the undead they gained their greatest advantages in the daylight hours. Looking over at her partner she raised her had and gave him the signal to move around back and check out rear exits. He nodded an affirmative and disappeared from sight. Sighing, she turned back to the building before her. Appropriately named the House Of Blood, it was one of the many flourishing vampyre nightclubs/feeding houses that were slowly creeping into more and more public areas in most of the bigger cities of Asia, North America, and especially Western Europe. It was a war and it was being fought constantly between vampyres and the few real slayers that were left, and there were not many. She could literally count all of the openly active vampyre hunters in the world (with any true experience to speak of) on the fingers of one hand, and two of those were Tal and herself. Glancing briefly down at the street she caught sight of the few mortals hurrying along, huddled in jackets against the piercing autumn wind, going about their lives, completely oblivious to the battles that surrounded them night after night. _Focus _she scolded herself. It seemed she was always watching the mortals. Their lives seemed so orderly and small compared to her own. At times she longed to join them, just give up the war that threatened to slip out of her hands more and more each day, but she knew that to do that would eventually mean the end of the human race, or at least the slavery of it. And it was becoming increasingly obvious that this eventuality was soon to be fulfilled. _And they have yet to take any notice of it. They're too busy worrying about the Evlons to take any notice of their real problems. _She often wondered how long it would take the vampyres to exhaust their precious blood source if she and Tal were to stop hunting. There were times when the thought was tempting. After all it was humans who had made her what she was. Ice blue eyes seemed to fill with molten silver and she clamped them tightly shut as remembered flashes of her childhood passed through her mind. **Cool it down An** came Tal's voice in her head. **We've got a lot of work to do before sunset.**

_Sorry Tal, I've just got a lot running through my head right now._

**Understandable, just try and keep it clear.**

_Yeah thanks mom _she quipped. _Got any more words of wisdom locked away in that hollow space between your ears I should know about?_

His warmth and affection washed through her and although there was an entire building between them she could tell he was smiling. They had acquired this "psychic" ability at the time of their Fulfillment Ritual. Having been best friends even before the ritual they become, if possible, even closer. Smirking and shaking her head she turned back to the task at hand.

She counted three doors on the front of the building but so far as she could tell only two of those were accessible from the main floor that they would be entering that evening. _And hopefully leaving full of dust and essence bullets _she thought vengefully to herself. She could never fully explain the burning hatred that filled her when confronted with vampyres, but after accepting what she was she no longer tried to fight it.

Moving silently she stood and slid a few steps to the right, blending in to the shadows. The pupils of her bright blue eyes dilated noticeably behind the dark lenses of her sunglasses and the small vampyric runes etched into the metal door across the street came sharply into focus as though she were suddenly looking through binoculars. (A/N: I actually have a rune system that I used here when I wrote it by hand, but not only can I not type that on the computer, but this server thing doesn't support and of the runic fonts that I could have used instead. So please just use your imaginations...Thanks.) "Letum sanguis sequi," she muttered, translating easily. "Yes, let death follow blood." Her feral grin and the silver glint that passed fleetingly through her eyes was evidence enough of whose blood she hoped would flow tonight. Raising her eyes to the clear autumn sky, already gathering into cool darkness, one corner of her mouth curled upward in a smirk. She called Tal back to her through their mind-link and slipped fluidly over the side of the building and, landing on her feet as effortlessly as a cat, she disappeared into the twilight, skeletal city of downtown London.

.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

The window slid closed almost noiselessly, except for a small protesting squeak near the bottom, and two pairs of booted feet dropped to the floor just as quietly with not even the smallest of thuds to herald their entrance. Gleaming silver eyes peered out of milky-white faces and quickly took in the surrounding area. Silver-vision effectively banished the shadows from the views of Andi and Tal and a look through their eyes would have seemed like looking through night-vision goggles that cast a black and white glow over everything as opposed to lime-green. A racing beat pulsed through the floor under their feet and though they were four stories above the main room of the club, the pounding bass line was still distinct. The slightly tensed bodies of the two youths relaxed almost noticeably as the extensive room proved to be clear. The room ran approximately half the length of the building and a coat of dust lay heavy on the floor. Water dripped in some places from the sagging ceiling above them and a moldy smell pervaded the entirety of it. Rusted office chairs lay on their sides and backs, swivel-bottom legs, coated in cobwebs, pointed solemnly toward the only exit. A broken door, still hanging halfway off its hinges from when the immortals or...whoever...had kicked it in, led into a tiled hallway darker even than the ghost-like office without the pale light of the moon to reach its eerie emptiness. (A/N: Have to read that sentence a few times? I did when I was typing it up and I wrote it! But hey, I couldn't bring myself to change it...)

Glass crunched under careful feet as Andi and Tal made their way to the door, remnants of overhead lights and expensive desk lamps. Heavy wooden desks were belly up; contents strewn across the damp floor, and stepping across them, Andi glanced at the memos, ledgers and stock reports. Molding evidence of someone's hard day's work, forgotten and rotting on the floor of a corporate jungle in a condemned building, never to be seen or appreciated again. The two hunters slipped out the door and crept down the darkened hallway, into the stairwell. Blending with the shadows they entered the stronghold of their enemy, and the bass pounded on...

A/N: A big, big, big, humungo thank you to elvesmagic010. You're my hero! Wow, my first reviewer on this story. All you others who are reading this right now, you can thank her for this chapter. (Especially the fact that it's up so soon after the prologue.) Anyway...I'm totally open to feedback of all sorts. If you have any suggestions whatsoever, or anything you want to see and you want me to try to work into the story, just tell me, review or e-mail works. But if you do e-mail, please put something about fanfiction as the subject, because I tend to delete e-mail from people I don't know just in case it's a virus and I don't like getting infected. That involves getting a cure. I hate needles. Thanks everybody who's reading this and extra thanks to everyone who reviews. I don't like to do it either, but I do, and so should you, it's productive...ish.

Kisses,

Ember


	3. Chapter Two Meet Kraven

Wow, a whole week and no reviews. That's why this chapter is so short. Sadness.  
  
Chapter Two-Meet Kraven  
  
Kraven watched the flashing red lights through hooded black eyes. Through his hyper- vampyric senses the rapid bass line seemed to thump at the hypnotic rate of a heartbeat. The tinted strobe lights beat at the same pace, casting distorted images and twisted shadows onto the darkened walls. The boy was here. Talan. And that damnable girl must be with him, she always was. He cursed silently. Never had the collected vampyre population of the world had such reason to fear extinction as they did now. Not that their numbers were dwindling. By all means no. If anything they were flourishing. But that didn't change the fact that almost every night there was at least one if not two attacks on important strongholds. The two hunting teenagers were relentless. That was why he was here tonight. He had heard that they would be in London. Other, younger vampyres took this as terrifying news, they huddled together in large groups, hoping for safety in numbers, doing nothing but stupidly presenting an even larger, more vulnerable target for Talan and Andromeda. But not Kraven. He lurked quietly in the corner of a popular feeding club, waiting for their appearance. He'd had no doubts that they would be drawn here. And so they had been.

Relatively new, but already a favorite, the House Of Blood proved a tempting target, even for the most clueless of hunters. Confident in his ability to defend himself or, if worse came to worst his ability to flee unnoticed, he had been anticipating their arrival. He wanted to see them for himself, these two teenagers.

Modern vampyres called for modern slayers, and Talan and Andromeda had warmed exceedingly to the task. Armed with both the old weapons as well as revolutionary guns and what they were calling "essence" ammunition, the duo was virtually unstoppable. He remembered the days just after the turn of the 20th century, when the old slayers were unable to adapt to the new technology that vampyres were using to their benefit. The legions of the undead had been rebuilding and growing stronger. An immortal had been able to feed freely and make fosterlings without fear of those draining few hours afterward. For lack of a better description "life was good."

But now, like the vampyres, the hunters were becoming more advanced. And these two, mere babes by vampyre standards, were striking fear into even the most secure and eldest of vampyres. All except for himself. He was unafraid for one simple reason. Talan. But that was a story for a different time. Better relived when there weren't so many of the undead around that were adept at mind-linking and reading. If the others were to find out that he had a connection of a sort with one of the brats, he could say goodbye to the security that he had earned through respect. Ah yes, that was one thing he did not believe Talan and Andromeda were aware of; his coven.

Though small and forged in severe secrecy it was comprised only of those Kraven himself found above satisfactory. He was building himself an army, or more appropriately, an armed guard. Yes, his children loved him, would die for him, and foolishly believed every lie that he told them. Thus his second safety. Though he had some small power over Talan owing to their "bond", he had greater power in the small assembly that followed him even now. It was the girl that he really wanted to get to, and what better way than through her Animungo? But for now he would watch and wait. His time would come, he just needed to be ready when it did. So he sat back once more, allowing the pulsing music to sweep him away and awaited the arrival of his target...and her partner.


	4. Chapter Three Uneasy

A/N: I've re-posted chapter two. I actually took out some information that I'm hoping you'll all have either overlooked before or have forgotten by now, because I've decided I don't want you to know about it yet. So you may want to go back and re-read it. And hey, reviews are always a nice touch...  
  
Chapter Three- Uneasy  
  
The first two had gone down easily enough, but it was the third guard that Tal was worried about. It wasn't that he thought he couldn't take him, but that the hulking vampyre might get out some sort of warning or something before he went down.You'll fall hard, won't ya big fella?  
  
Andi's amused chuckle resounded through his mind. _Need some help my young grasshopper?_  
  
**Ah yes, please... enlighten me with the wondrous knowledge you're privy to due to the whole 2 minutes and 35 seconds of seniority you wield over me** he drawled sarcastically, keeping a wary eye on the guard the whole time.  
  
_No sorry, you've misunderstood _she quipped_. I was referring to my superior ability to kick ass._  
  
Talan smirked lightly at their playful banter. Even Hunting never seemed to get them out of their playful moods.  
  
_Seriously though, just a suggestion _she added_. Don't try a knife at the throat. He'd have your arm off in a heartbeat._  
  
Without hesitation he slid the blade he had begun to draw back into its sheath at his waist. She had a point.  
  
_I'd go for a bullet at the back of the knee. Silence it. Take out one leg, and on a guy that bit it should be easy enough to take out the other with a kick._  
  
Working it through in his head he fine tuned the details and came through with a fairly simple strategy. He didn't bother wondering how Andi knew the circumstances, just as he never questioned how they knew their exact age difference down to the second... they just did. Silently sending his thanks he drew his semi-automatic side arm and aimed it with a sure hand. But aiming wouldn't be the hard part. Fixing his gaze on his target he carefully crept forward; knees bent slightly. Exhaling softly and reaching quickly to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow he readied his weapon. The broad back of his target was still facing him, arms crossed and watching the door to the dance floor, he suspected nothing. Reluctantly pulling his gaze from the undead bouncer, he focused on his gun. This would be the difficult part. Reaching out with his mind he moved through the cold steel of the weapon and then beyond. The hallway itself was a complex web of thoughts, notions, impulses floating through the air. Concentrating, with practiced ease, he delicately tugged them all together into one tangible thread. Keeping a firm hold on the line he retreated back into himself. Squeezing the trigger he gave the psychic thread a mighty tug, and the hall dropped into dizzying disorient. Tal flashed forward with super-human speed, dropping into a crouch he flung out his left leg and spun. As the vampyre fell to his knees, his right leg, gushing cold blood from the bullet would, gave out and he pitched forward onto his face, landing in an undignified sprawl. Taking advantage of the situation Tal planted his knee in between the heaving shoulder blades. Snarling in frustration, the vampyre tried to throw the smaller warrior off, but froze almost immediately, collapsing limply to the floor with Tal's dagger imbedded in his left shoulder, piercing his chilling heart. Rolling swiftly to his side Tal crouched on the ground to the right of the body and watched with familiar detachment as it exploded silently into dust. Reaching for his blade, he pulled it from where it still stood upright, sharp point buried in the floor. He extended his hand, pressing it flat against the cold metal door that led to a balcony above the extensive dance floor. Venturing out to gently probe with his mind, thankful that he had "silenced" his gunshot, as no one seemed to have noticed anything. Not that they could have heard an atomic bomb over the pounding music, but you can never be too careful. He and Andi had discovered that nifty trick about a year ago. By deliberately disrupting a certain aspect of a person's thought process they found they could manipulate perceptions. The gunfire a few moments ago had emitted no noise for one simple reason: Talan had temporarily distorted the perception of sound in the hallway to anyone nearby; he'd simply suggested that it didn't exist. And so it hadn't. Rising, he stepped to the doorway and awaited Andi's signal.  
  
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The fifth vampyre fell to a pile of dust as Andi looked on with grim satisfaction. A feeling of unease swept through her, a faint prickle, and she whipped around. The dim hallway, sharpened to daylight brightness with her impeccable night-vision, proved to be clear. Narrowing her eyes, she hesitated before turning back around. Sighing, she stared idly at the mound of ashes on the floor in front of her as she contemplated her next move. She and Tal always planned out their missions meticulously, but something was pulling her away from the main dance floor, or rather warning her away from it. As she stood pondering this mysterious intuition she passively studied the pile of dust at her feet. A few grains shifted and in a move born purely of instinct she whipped around without hesitation, plunging her sai into what had, only moments ago been thin air. The three- pronged weapon, resembling a small triton, sank deep into vampyre flesh. She let out a slow, shaky breath as the undead creature turned to a fine powder and coated the floor in a thin gray blanket. She was somewhat shaken. She hadn't even heard him coming. No vampyre had taken her by surprise in quite some time. And it wasn't that she was getting sloppy; on the contrary, she felt very clear-minded. But there was something...  
  
**Everything all right?** Came Tal's worried voice, effectively cutting through her bewildered thought process.  
  
Distractedly, she replied that she was fine. _Let's get this over with_ she sighed heavily. She wouldn't be caught off guard again.  
  
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A/N: Alright everybody. My apologies. This has been a LONG, LONG time coming. I'm already working on typing up the next chapter, and I should have it posted within the next day or two. Who knows? Now that it's summer I might be able to actually sit down and get some serious ground covered in this story. I would like to take some time to thank a few people though. My whole two reviewers (to whom I am eternally grateful) and one other very important person.  
  
Desperatedesiremaliciousi: Hey girl. Thanks for reading this for me. You know how stressed and stuff I've been lately. And yes...that little bit in chapter two was a bit familiar wasn't it? ( Thanks Cari. Volim te. Fe'nos tol.  
  
Elvesmagic010: What can I say? Thank you....so much. It appears that you've spent more time with this story than anyone else on Thanks again. Your reviews are greatly appreciated, as is your kindness.  
  
Morning Fey: Hey Shelly. I can't possibly begin to thank you enough. You have been more helpful and more supportive than anyone else I've talked to in a LONG time. I can honestly say that if it hadn't been for you I might have just let this story drift away and never have updated again. Thanks. Much love.  
  
Hey to everyone. You should go check out morning fey's stuff. It's amazing if you like SS fics. See ya soon  
  
Kisses, Ember.


	5. Chapter Four Nemesis

A/N: Hey people. It has recently come to my attention that I have neglected to post disclaimers. Woopsie! My bad. You know what that means. I have a few rabid fans going crazy out there because they think I'm J.K. Rowling.......ummm, yeah..... Does anyone else wonder why we have to post these? They kind of go without saying don't they?  
  
Disclaimer: Any characters or situations from the existing Harry Potter universe belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc...... I'm not making any money off of this, and these stories are purely for the enjoyment of fans of said universe.  
  
Chapter Four- Nemesis  
  
The menacing pair of teenagers strode across the no-longer crowded dance floor. Vampyres congested the dark corners and walls, slinking in a panic towards the doors. Their eyes were wild, the open night beyond the club promised a safety that they were mad to reach. Hopelessly they pressed themselves against the walls, surfaces caked in blood and soaked in victims' dying cries. Andi paid them no heed, they were of no consequence now. They were few and weak, but above all they were scared, and fearful prey was the easiest to hunt.  
  
Tonight had been a satisfying victory. The dance floor, roughly the size of a football field, was covered in most places by an ankle-deep layer of ash, evidence to the extreme numbers of vampyres who had been cut down. Small clouds of dust tufted up around their knees as they proceeded across the room. The hunters' gazes swept the shadowed recesses of the room, sharp eyes missing nothing. Both focuses were quickly drawn to the only vampyre in the club who was still sitting.  
  
He was a seemingly sophisticated creature, calmly sipping blood from a wine glass. One leg was carelessly draped over the other, an elegant white hand was currently busy swirling the thick red liquid in the delicate rounded glass, a display of nonchalance that was far too impassive to be forced. Andi felt a small wave of unease travel through her body and end in a cold grip around her heart. Why wasn't he running like the others? What reassurance did he have that made him so unafraid? She shifted her gaze to Tal, and swallowed...hard. Something was very wrong here. Her usually unshakeable partner was doing just that...shaking. It was a very slight tremor, one that she might not have noticed, had she not begun to feel that she was slowly losing control of her own outward show of emotion. It took her only a moment to realize that it wasn't merely the vampyre's calm that was unnerving her, it was something else, too. But what? The cold fist contracted and ice pumped through her veins.  
  
Talan's breath caught in his throat. He knew this man, this thing, this...undead creature. He recognized him, remembered him from...somewhere. He suppressed a shiver. The chilling familiarity he felt wasn't based on the stranger's face, or his impeccably groomed appearance, but something more primal. This recognition tugged at the base of his being. It was in his blood. It was his blood. He spared his partner a quick glance. Confusion was rolling off her in waves, interspersed with short, chilling prickles of fear. He shivered. She was never afraid...at least almost never. And when she was afraid, she didn't show it. Didn't let it seep into her psychic scent, and certainly didn't put it on display in her eyes. At the moment, she was doing all these things. Turning back to the familiar stranger seated before him, he moved his hand in what he hoped was a subtle movement to rest on the hand grip of his sidearm. Where the weapon had always been a comfort before, it now seemed nothing more than cold metal resting in its holster. It was at this moment, when he felt more at a loss than he ever had, that the vampyre spoke. Looking up from his glass of blood-wine, he smirked and calmly said, "Hello Talan."  
  
Kraven watched the two young hunters in amusement. They stood apprehensively before him, seemingly unsure if they should run or make a stand. They were both crouched in semi-defensive stances, ready to fight at the slightest provocation. Their faces were displays of varied emotions. Shock warred with fear. Anger mixed with instinctive hatred for his kind. The vampyre race.  
  
"How do you know me?" Talan asked in a voice that tried to be demanding, but came out quavering a bit more than he might have hoped.  
  
"Most of my kind do," Kraven responded with a slow, lazy smile that showed his delicately pointed canines.  
  
Andi stepped forward. "You know what he means."  
  
His smile hardened itself into a sneer. He stood smoothly from his chair and answered her, "Indeed." He took a slow step forward and then paused to, very obviously, rake her body with eyes from top to bottom and them back again. Smirking, he turned back to Tal. "It looks as though I did you a favor."  
  
Talan stared back at him, torn between utter confusion and the protective anger for Andi that he felt welling up within him. "What favor?" He asked, teeth gritting as he fought to keep from lashing out. Fuck! He hated being toyed with like this! And by a vampyre no less... Who did he think he was? Talan only wished he knew......  
  
Silently the vampyre approached him and leant down to whisper in his ear, "You shall see in time."  
  
And with those words he was gone. He simply turned his back on them and walked towards the door, and when he reached it, he walked through without even looking back.  
  
Tal and Andi stood side-by-side for a few moments, staring blankly ahead as though neither of them could believe what had just happened. Half- turning towards his partner Tal took a deep breath and opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut again as though changing his mind. Instead he let out a deep sigh.  
  
"Well," Andi said without breaking her distant stare, "that was weird." Without another word she pulled a long, smooth piece of wood from a strap at her side and slipped her arm around Talan. With a faint pop they were gone.  
  
A/N: Much thanks again to my reviewers...all three of you. You rock my world. Major big thanks to Morning Fey, who must have gotten a hundred e- mails from me in the past two days and didn't snap at me once. You've been amazing.......much love to ya, and thanks again.  
  
Ciao everybody. Ember  
  
Next chapter preview: The Harry Potter gang come into the picture....... (I know, it's about time right?) : ) 


	6. Chapter Five Love and War

A/N: Wow, let me just say first that I am SO sorry that it has been so long since I have updated. This annoying little thing called life got in the way. I really don't understand how some of you amazing fan fiction authors out there do it.....I mean there are people who update once a week. I could never find the time to do that, let alone sit down and actually come up with so many ideas to write about. Anyway, thanks for being so patient and not screaming at me... at least where I can hear it. Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Chapter Five- Love and War

Ron held his breath and resisted the urge to bite his nails, though he did pull his lower lip between his teeth. This could very well be the end for all of them. This crucial moment. He spared a quick glance at Harry, only to find that his best friend looked just as nervous as he was. Not in the least bit comforted, he turned back to the scene before him with trepidation.

A noise, to faint for him to hear properly, briefly caught his attention, but he shook himself free. Once again he focused on the raging battlefield. He felt the impending doom of the helpless situation. They were outnumbered four to one. And there was that noise again... This time he attempted to ignore it completely. And he succeeded. Until.... "RONALD WEASLEY! Get your nose out of those damn comic books!"

He jumped and glanced wildly about as reality slammed back down on him. Looking up he found himself staring into the face of his girlfriend.

"Hermione," he stated dumbly, still slightly dazed, then paused... "since when do you curse?" He hadn't heard her use the word damn in the six years that he'd known her.

"Since I called your name four times and you didn't answer me," she snapped back.

"But," he began, gesturing madly at the open pages before him. "They were just about to resurrect Merlin and have him face off with Bogmitt the Troll King on the Great Battlefield of Lake Zanderzonie."

Harry, who had also been deeply engrossed in the colorful book, shrank back in his seat. He could sense one of their famous quarrels coming on, and he did **_not _**want to be caught in the middle of it. Hermione had one eyebrow raised, and that was a sure sign of trouble. And then the strangest thing happened.... Hermione began to laugh. And no, not a hysterical, maniacal I'm-so-fed-up-with-you-that-I'm-just-this-far-away-from-killing-you hag cackle. This was truly a laugh. Turning an alarming shade of purple, she dropped to the floor in a fit of giggles. Harry found himself somewhat confused, and, he had to admit, deeply offended. What was she doing rolling about on the ground like that? This was serious! He turned his head slightly to the left to ask his red-headed counterpart what exactly she was on about, and that's when he caught sight of Ron. His friend had grabbed the magazine and thrust its pages out in front of himself with both hands like some sort of magical talisman. Harry himself couldn't fight down the chuckle that bubbled up. There was just something about the sight of a six-foot-something quidditch player cowering behind the flimsy pages of a wizarding comic book in hopes of escaping the wrath of his five-foot-something girlfriend that was comical. He had a sudden premonition of sorts. A break-through. An epiphany if you will: At times Hermione and Ron reminded him strongly of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Hearing two people laughing seemed to make Ron either slightly curious, or slightly brave, as he slowly opened one tightly scrunched eye. Exhaling a strong sigh of relief, he too broke into a wide grin.

He had to admit that it felt good to laugh. Tensions had been running high for close to two weeks now at 12 Grimmauld Place. As usual, the adults were stressed and gave the rest of them no hints as to why. The only thing they could be certain of was that it had something to do with Voldemort. It always did these days. Attacks were becoming more and more common. The Daily Prophet had begun to report supposed Death Eater raids and Dark Mark sightings in a way that no one could consider reserved or cautious, much to the Ministry's chagrin. And thanks to Kingsley Shacklebolt the residents of the Black house had daily access to the wizarding newspaper. It was also through Kingsley that Harry and Ron came to have a veritable Cornucopia of comic books...wizarding comic books. The characters on the colorful covers and in the small black frames whizzed by on broomsticks and ran across bloody battlefields. They had both been fascinated. They had been especially fascinated when Fred and George had come for a visit and "spiced on up a bit."

Unfortunately the charm the twins had used lasted only a few hours, and while Ron and Harry had tried for countless hours to re-create the effect, their efforts had been proved fruitless. Much to their disappointment... That's not to say that they hadn't continued to be mesmerized by the 'originals.' Especially Harry. Having lived in the muggle world for most of his life, he had never seen anything like wizarding comic books before. The moving pictures and interactive characters had astounded him. And of course they'd had the same effect on Ron; even with five older brothers he'd never had one handed down to him.

Dragging herself up from the floor, Hermione collapsed red-faced onto the sofa. "Sorry," she gasped, her smile still so wide it looked painful. "It's just that you looked so funny and it's been so very stressful here lately." She paused. "Besides, haven't you been through that comic twice already?"

Ron looked affronted. "Three times," he huffed out. At her amused look he continued, "What? I'd think that you of all people would be proud of me for _reading_!" The last word was accompanied by a shudder. This earned him an outright laugh form Hermione and a light kiss.

Molly Weasley turned from the closed door of the library with a smile on her lips. She had been passing by on the way to the kitchen when she heard the laughter. Intrigued, she had pressed her ear to the door and heard the voices of three joking teenagers. She was glad the house was filling with the sounds of happiness once more. Though they had tried not to show it, she knew that the children had been reflecting the stress and frustration of the adults in their own emotions and behaviors. Sighing, she continued on her way to the kitchen. They had little enough to celebrate and laugh about these days. As hard as the Order fought, it seemed it was not hard enough.

She flicked her wand at the sink, setting the dishes to washing themselves. Then, with another sigh and flick of her wand, they lay still in the sink once more. She pushed up her sleeves and filled the sink the rest of the way before immersing her arms in the warm water up to her elbows. Reaching for a plate, she began to scrub. She had often found over the years that doing a task the muggle way took one's mind off a disturbing subject. The methodical, relaxing motions were a comfort to the worried mind. And there was plenty enough to worry about at the moment...

The Dark Lord was gathering more forces to himself lately. Their spies brought back chilling tales of new factions of warriors. Warriors that magic could not harm. It was no longer to be denied... Lord Voldemort was readying for war. "And that damnable Fudge still refuses to see it," she thought bitterly. Even with the attacks. Even with the sightings...

She scrubbed harder, venting her temper on the flower-printed circle of china. Quickly and angrily she finished the last of the dishes. After drying the last cup and setting it back in its cupboard, she rinsed out the sink, dried her hands, and threw down the towel with a satisfied air.

Stepping back to survey the kitchen and realizing that there was nothing else to be cleaned, she set about starting the evening meal. There would be an Order meeting tonight, and they always left the gathering hungry, more for a comfortable dinner with friends and family than for actual food. Closeness was important these days. Never knowing who might not come home form a mission was hard on everyone.

And of course no one ever left Molly Weasley's table with an empty stomach...

A/N: To all my reviewers, a big huge thanks! You rock my world!

**Stoop: **I really appreciate your compliments. No one has ever said something so nice about my writing style before. Thanks much!

**Luna: **Awww. You're so sweet! Thanks you. I'm glad you like it so far. And I hope it continues to get 'better and better.' : )

**desperatedesiremaliciousi: **Yo Cari! What up Boo! : ) Yeah you are the coolest.....but I still kick better ass. Volim te. Fe'nos tol.

**Morning Fey: **Hey Shelly! Thanks for the input. And I'll get to the smut when I damn well please! ; ) (which obviously means at the first possible opportunity!) I hope everything is going okay. I love you! Be good! (ha)

**elvesmagic010: **w00 for my first ever reviewer! You are the most awesome person in the world! : ) And don't worry, I fully intend to keep writing....it may just take me a while between updates. : )

Much love to you all! Pray for the next chapter to be up soon....much good may it do you....... : )

Kisses

Ember


	7. Chapter Six False Comforts

Chapter Six – False Comforts

The room was dark. The sole occupant, a boy no older than eight or nine, had no fear of this absence of light. Two things were protecting him from any evil, closet-dwelling creatures of the night that might bear him ill will.

The first was enveloping him warmly, a large thick comforter that he snuggled under in his bed. For every young person knows the sanctity and talismanic powers that rest in bed-covers. They have the ability to block even the most determined wicked things when hidden under, especially when printed with a brightly colored Spiderman pattern.

The second was 5'6", slender, and currently leaning against his bedroom doorframe.

"We've got to get him out of here," she whispered, unsure if she was informing the person across the room, or herself. "It's not safe anymore," she continued, never taking her eyes off the young boy sleeping peacefully in his bed. Long blonde lashes rested gently on soft pink cheeks, one hand curled innocently under a chin that appeared small and fragile now, but held the promise of strength; a shadow of the man the boy was to be.

Talan moved to stand behind her, resting one hand gently on her shoulder. "There's nowhere we can go where they won't already be," he said quietly. It was harsh, but it was reality. Even as hard as they fought, the vampire population seemed to be spreading. They were gaining power and influence everywhere. Nowhere was safe. "Nowhere," he repeated to himself in a whisper.

"There's one place," Andi said, just as softly.

He seemed to understand almost immediately. "Andi, you can't be serious!" He exclaimed. "Taking him to Hogwarts would be just as dangerous. Think about it. You'd be saving him from one threat, just to toss him into another one!"

"What choice do I have?" She hissed, turning to face him. "At the moment I'm much more worried about the vampires catching up to him than anything A-KAD can throw at us."

As her eyes flicked across his face, searching for any sign that he disagreed, she sighed and her gaze softened. "Look," she said more gently, resting a hand against his cheek, "A-KAD has been after me for seven years now, and they haven't managed to catch up yet." She flashed him a wry smile, then her face tightened as she continued. "But something… _something_ is happening with the vampires. We've still got the youngest scattered and scared, but what about the Elders and the Covens? Something is changing. I know you can feel it too. They're still wary of us, but it's not fear so much anymore as… hate…" The last word was a mere whisper, a soft echo of her palm sliding from the side of his face. She turned and took a few steps deeper into the living room, arms coming around to hug herself. "They're getting ready to turn against us and make a stand Talan, together… as one. Merlin only knows where they're getting the courage… or the leadership. But I can _feel _it. I _know_ it's happening. And if I can't stop it, how can I even hope to be strong enough to protect Dade?"

Talan's strong arms slipped around her from behind, his hard chest pressed into he back. She slipped her arms over his and tilted her head back against his shoulder, eyes closed, breathing in his familiar scent, taking in the comfort he offered. "It's going to be alright," he whispered, but the promise sounded empty, even to himself.

-----------------------------------------

Hundreds of miles away, a man with a long silver beard turned away from a cold, empty fireplace and returned a crystal orb to its place on a wooden shelf.

Turning with a tired sigh, Albus Dumbledore waved his hand and willed a crackling fire to life.

The Order would have to be informed. The meeting next week would have to be soon enough.

With weary steps he made his way across the room to where Fawkes was perched. Raising one hand he stroked the bird's golden feathers.

Things, it seemed, were only going to get worse…


	8. Chapter Seven Decisions, Decisions

Chapter Seven – Decisions, Decisions

Andi sat, curled up on the only window seat in her flat, hands wrapped around a mug of hot tea, and watched the people on the busy city streets below. It was just past four o'clock in the morning, and many late-night partygoers were just now stumbling home to pass out in their beds. She personally felt that sleep was a waste of time, and thanks to A-KAD, she never needed more than an hour a night, and most nights she didn't need any at all.

Without taking her eyes off the street she sipped slowly, contemplatively, from her mug. Anyone who looked closely enough would have noticed that while her gaze was trained on the ground some forty feet below her, her eyes were not actually looking at anything. She was lost deep in thought, as she had been for the better part of an hour. A letter, bearing the unmistakable, spidery scrawl of Albus Dumbledore in shockingly bright purple ink, was lying open at her feet. In pure Dumbledorian fashion, he'd written extensively and said next to nothing. There'd been several different references to the recent weather conditions at Hogwarts, inquiries about her health, statements detailing his own problems sleeping, and a brief sentence that had seemed squeezed into the end of the letter as an afterthought asking if she would please meet his associate at The Leaky Cauldron at the provided date and time, as he was in need of her unique services.

There were many things weighing heavily on her mind, but three in particular were due to the frustratingly verbose letter. The first was the fact that the headmaster had written her at all. The purpose of the letter had obviously been to set up the proposed meeting at The Leaky Cauldron, and the purpose of the meeting had something to do with her being a vampyre hunter. There was nothing wrong with this except for the fact that this meant Dumbledore knew that she hunted the undead in her free time. She shouldn't be surprised, considering that he seemed to know pretty much everything else. She still wasn't sure if his knowing was a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, it would make slipping out to go hunting during the school year much easier, since she wouldn't have to worry so much about an excuse if she got caught. For all she knew, the headmaster would encourage her nocturnal excursions, and she wouldn't have to do any sneaking at all.

On the other hand, the fact that he knew meant that the Ministry might know, or at least the Minister of Magic. This was something that she wanted to avoid at all costs. Anonymity had always been her best defense, and the last thing that she needed was to become the newest toy for the Ministry's Magical Creatures Department officials to play with.

The second thing that she now had to think about, thanks to the letter, was Dade's position in all of this. She loved her little brother dearly, but she couldn't afford to continue to look out for his safety _and _take an assignment from Dumbledore, if that was even what the meeting was about. She now had even more reason to wonder if Dade might be welcome at Hogwarts. He showed no magical talent at the moment, but he was definitely linked intimately to the magical world. Besides, if Dumbledore trusted her enough to contact her and request her assistance, surely he would do her the favor of keeping Dade safe for her while she did the old wizard's bidding.

Both of these topics threatened to overwhelm her with their complexities and multi-faceted implications, but neither caused her quite so much confusion or worry as the third thought that had assailed her with the reading of the letter.

She was well aware that Dumbledore's main concern at the moment was the safety of Harry Potter from the forces of the rising Lord Voldemort. She couldn't help but wonder how vampyres tied in to that at all. And she couldn't help but fear the answer to that puzzling thought. She remembered her conversation with Talan only hours before, about how the vampyres were growing more confident, as though they were massing behind some leader. She tried not to let herself consider how that related to the power that Lord Voldemort was gathering, but the ominous thoughts slipped in uninvited.

And so she sat, troubled and confused, trying to decide whether to meet this mysteriously un-named associate of Dumbledore's at The Leaky Cauldron. She glanced again at the specified date and time in the letter and sighed. She had less than two days to decide.


End file.
